Improvement in music-leaf turners



v1. H. GERRY.

Music Leaf' Turners.

Patented May20,1873\ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. GERRY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MUSIC-LEAF TURNERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent NoV 139,141, dated May 20,1873 application filed March 15, 1873.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of' the same; Fig. 4, asectional side view of one of theI folding arms; Fig. 5, a sectionaledge view thereof; Fig. 6, a side view of the slide and lever forholding and disengaging the folding arms; and Fig. 7 a Verticaltransverse section thereof on the line C O, Fig. 6.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a new mechanism for turning the leaves ot'music on pianos and other musical instruments, or m usic-holders, by theaction ot' a trigger or key; and consists principally in a novel methodof' applying the springs to the folding arms or wires, so that the samewill be moved by such spring-power as soon as they are disengaged fromthe retaining-shoulder. The folding arms or wires are pivoted to themusic-rack or board, their pivots being pieces of' wire or rods that areat one end rigidly secured to said rack. When swinging one of' thefolding arms or wires toward the right, its spring-pivot is twisted andthe spring-power thereby called into et'ect. As soon as the folder isdisengaged from this position, the spring will cause it to be violentlyand rapidly sprung to the left and to fold the page of the book orsheet-music. My invention also consists in providing a curved wire ortrack as a guide for the folding arms in such manner that on said trackor curved wire, the arms will he moved from a nearly vertical oroutwardly inclined position, by which they hold the leaves open, into anearly horizontal position, after having folded the leaves over to theleft, they being iu the latter position clear of' the leaves that havebeen folded over by them. My invention further consists in preparing onthe aforementioned supporting board or rack, a projecting lug or ear onwhich a slide, which carries the disengaging lever and the lockingarmswhile the same are upright or inclined When, then, the leveris depressedit disen gages the front folder, and allows it to be swung toward theleft, but it will not interfere with the position or' the others exceptto allow them y to nearer approach the retaining-shoulder.

In the accompanying drawing, the letter A' represents a supporting-rackor board placed upon a piano or other instrument or musicholder ofsuitable construction. B is a rod or wire for holding the music in placeagainst the tace of' the rack, and is at its lower end rigidly securedto a projecting portion ofthe rack, A, and its upper end held in placeby a springcatch, a. From out of this spring-catch it can be swung andits upper end moved off the face of the rack to allow the convenientinsertion and removal of' the music. Being secured at its lower end itsprings readily back into its locked position as soon as the music hasbeen put in place or removed. O C are the folding arms or wires forturning the music, each of which is pivoted wit-hin a segmental holderor slotted plate, D, which holder or plate is by au upright Wire, b,pivoted to the face ofthe rack A, or the wires O and b may be made incontinuous pieces. One end ot' this wire b is firmly secured to the faceof the rack, or to a suitable projection therefrom, and its other end isloosely fitted through a perforated projecting plate, b, of said rack.When, therefore, the plate D of this arm C is folded toward the right,and then locked by means hereinafter described, the wire b will betwisted and will v exert a spring-power which will readily carry theplate D and folder G over toward the left again as soon as such plate isreleased from the retaining devices. To the face of' the rack A, beneaththe lower edge ot' the music-sheet thereon supported, is rmly fixed acurved wire or track E. Each of the folders C has a loop or eye, e,formed on it, which loop or eye embraces the wire E, or enters the trackE, if a track instead of' a wire is provided. The curve of this wire ortrack E is of such a nature that its lower end at the left-hand side isnearly on a level with the inner ends of the folder C, while its upperend on the right hand side is above and at an angle toward the right toand forward of said inner ends ot" the folders. By this wire or track,therefore, the folders will be carried into the two positions shown inFig. l. That is to say, when the plate D is swung to the right, itsfolder G will be carried to the right with it, and at the same timeswung by their connection with the track E into the inclined positionindicated by dotted lines in Fig. l. lVhen, however, the plate D isswung to the left by the spring-power hereinbei'ore alluded to, it willalso carry its folder. C toward theleft with it; but said folder will,on the track E, be guided from the upright into a nearly horizontalposition, indicated by full lines in Fig. l. In the latter position. thefolder will be out ofthe way ofthe music, heilig entirely beneath thesame. Each plate D has a projecting arm, f, which, when the plate isswung to the right, tits under the shoulderg of a slide, F, that iscarried on a lug, 71, projecting from the tace ot the rack. rEhe slide Fcan be moved further away or nearer. to the face ot' the rack, andlocked in any desired position by means of a thumb-screw, 1', so thatits shoulderg will be in the requisite position `to hold the folders forthick or thinner books. G is a lever pivoted to the front end ot' theslide F, and held to it by means of a springgj. This lever is V-shaped,as indicated in Fig. 6, its lower horizontal arm bein shown by dottedlines in the said figure. The end ot' this lower arm of the lever Gextends slightly behind the shoulder g, so that when said lever G isdepressed, it will force the furthermost plate D down from off saidshoulder g, and release the spring by which the same is carried towardthe lett. When a series of plates, D, are swung to the right, the onefurthest in front of them. will be in contact with the shoulder g, andwhen thelever is depressed it will only release said foremost plate Dfrom thel shoulder, and not theothers, ot' which the one then farthestforward will subsequently come in contact with the shoulder g.

What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. The folder C, connected with the vibrat ing plate D, and combinedwith the guide-wire or track D, substantially as described.

2. The vibrating plate D ot' a music-leaf turner, when connected withthe spring-pivot b ot' an independently-moving folder C, and with theprojectingI arm j', as specified.

3. The adjustable slide F, carrying a lever, G, and the shoulder G, whenapplied to operate in combination with the folders of a musicleafturner, as described.

JAMES H. GERRY.

' lllitnesses:

LnoNrDAs MURRAY, WILLIAM H. BOWEN.

